Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The people of the Deh Cho very highly value the natural abundance of the land and water surrounding our communities.

Wild mushroom harvest in the area is a tremendous potential for my region. Wild mushrooms are highly sought after for their variety and flavour. Morels themselves cost as much as $120 apiece, and a Member of the previous Assembly reported pine mushrooms fetching as much as $300 per pound in some markets. Like berries, they add a distinct northern character to a meat dish.

The first organized harvest of wild morels in the Northwest Territories took place almost 15 years

ago, but since then we haven’t done very much to capitalize on this opportunity. A number of times, entrepreneurs have had huge profits from northern mushrooms, while just a few lucky Northerners pocketed only a small fraction of the benefits.

Fortunately, mushrooms are a renewable resource. Last year wild fires devastated Deh Cho forests and we can expect a new crop of mushrooms this year. Many of these areas are easily accessible by highway, and the people of Fort Providence are ready to harvest mushrooms the way they already pick berries.

For many years the lack of provisions in the forest management legislation has prevented commercial mushroom harvest. As the Northwest Territories takes control of our land and resources, we have a prime opportunity to update the Northwest Territories Forest Management Act and make it possible for our residents to harvest and sell wild mushrooms as well as berries, herbal teas and other bounty of the northern wild.

For far too long we have watched our local produce snatched up by mushroom-savvy Southerners, and I am afraid that this coming year that will only happen again.

Local communities should be the first to profit from the harvest of our renewable resources. It would be unacceptable for southern entrepreneurs to come in and try to trap our furs, mine our diamonds or drill for oil without the involvement of local Aboriginal people.

I urge this government to move forward on a sound agricultural policy and changes to the Northwest Territories Forest Management Act, to ensure that we can make the most of harvesting the northern wild. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.